[UPDATE] Air Rescue! Hiker With a Rattlesnake Bite
[Stock image provided by Dottie Simmons]
A medical helicopter is requested to respond to the scene.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
UPDATE: The hiker was taken to the hospital.
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I was going to put out a warning the other day…
This one’s no longer a threat to anyone…
It’s head is gone, in this photo…
And it’s just about chopped in half…
Got a pretty good video of it still trying to boogie anyway…
Just as a warning, a rattlesnake can still bite you even after you chop its head off.
That’s very true.
I’ve had just the head try and strike at me, with open, clear, jet black eyes, it’s jaws snapped open and it bared it’s fangs, as I turned over it’s upside down head with a stick, cleanly separated from it’s body with a blast from a 12 guage.
The image is still very clear in my mind.
That one was in my dogs kennel…
How many shots with your shotgun did it take this time?
Hope the dogs weren’t nearby in case you missed.
I hit it more than once.
No shotgun involved.
I killed this one with the shovel it’s scooped in… See it?
It wasn’t near my place anyway.
It was near someone else’s place…
It’s an old school spade.
(Was)
Its busted now.
Bury the head in a deep hole if you have dogs. They will try to play with it or eat it!
You don’t kill rattlesnakes [edit]!
They get near my place the head comes off and is buried deep in the ground. I don’t want to lose my wife, a grandchild or my dog. Sorry snake lovers, but you come last.
Made me a nice belt out of this one..
Nope. I’ve got that same GIF.
I killed the one above 2 weeks ago.
Friday before last.
Got a few videos, one is 107 mb.
It’s an anomaly.
96% of people that get bitten by a rattlesnake are in there early 20s, drinking and “male”
I hope she will be ok.
totally bogus statistic
Have you ever heard of google?
Helicopter just landed at St Joes @ 6:30
Recipes please.
Take 10 shovelfuls of earth, set aside.
Place the snake into the earth.
Cover with dirt.
Tamp firmly.
Let rest for an eternity.
Bury the head. Leave the rest for the critters….if you feel the need to kill rattlesnakes
The reason for burying the head is yellow jackets can come along and eat on the dead head transferring rattlesnake poison to them, the yellow jacket gos on to sting a person or pet poisoning who ever they sting. I looked this up and what I read said the yellow jacket is not killed because they are a carrier of their own poison, which off sets the poison from the rattler.
What I was always told, to bury the head because of yellow jackets. Didn’t know about the venom counteracting the venom. Interesting
Don’t tell the murder hornets
This is what i think just happened to me! I was so sick for 2 weeks after i was stung! Went to the doctor’s twice. There have been 5 rattle snacks between my house and my neighbors in the last couple of weeks. A baby one was found dead one the main road between out houses.
Snake not snacks!
Anything that can kill my dog shall get killed first. Although, where there’s one there’s more.
That’s exactly what I did.
The guy asked for a recipe…
It was the best that I could come up with.
My place gets a lot of them, averages about 1+ a year.
30+ maybe closer to 40 total.
Too many.
That seems like alot
It is a lot.
Or was.
4 a year for the first 2 years, that’s 8 right there.
Add 32 more years… At an average of just one a year…
Only kill them if they are in an area with kids or pets who don’t know how to avoid them. Sucks for the snake but better them than we.
Love the recipe, thanks for a chuckle.
Your welcome.
I guess eating them isn’t in vogue any more. Safeway sold the meat in the early sixties.
I just cut the head off and bury it. Skin and clean the snake and put him in a jug of double twisted moonshine whiskey. Christmas comes, pop the cork and drink in the new year!
Hang snake minus head and rattles. Slice belly lengthwise, pull skin downward. Gut and clean. Slice into 4 inch sections, season as desired. Grill over medium to low heat charcoal, turn occasionally do not rush. Place on cedar plank and cover with foil to rest. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover then throw away or burn snake sections. Season plank as desired, then enjoy plank. Bon Appétit.
Tastes like chicken.
Haha, you got that right. Eat the plank lol. I’m tearing up over here.
In general, killing rattlesnakes is a very shortsighted response to their presence and risks serious local imbalance in the fauna that can lead to other health issues for humans.
They are not agressive and do not want to interact with you.
True. If they are in my yard they are dead but if out in the wilderness there’s no point in killing them.
If they’re in your yard, they’re likely just passing through and helping clear out the vermin.
If not cornered, a little encouragement and they usually move right along.
Again, killing them just because they are present is shortsighted.
You don’t have to kill them, you can catch, transport and release. What you do is, herd them with a hoe or rake into a big garbage can with a tight cover. Once you’ve got them inside, turn it upright, snap the lid on, place the can carefully in the back of your pickup, and drive that bad boy to a new zip code. Use the rake or hoe to open the can, always keeping in mine that the snake is more afraid of you than you are of it. There, you see? You don’t have to kill them. I’m an old lady, and I’ve caught my share. Snake Medicine is very powerful, and in saving them you will be granted some good fortune – there will be a positive transformation in your life.
I use a piece of 1″ PVC pipe, 6-8′ long with a loop of poly drip hose, or dog-run cable running through the PVC. You can noose the snake and relocate it.
We did that system! A fat rattler had stuck itself going through a tangle of that plastic Ross Garden Netting that was lying on the ground- Never do that! (I never will again). There was no way to save it other than to cut the plastic away. My neighbor caught it’s head using the pipe/ loop system you described. I duct-taped a box cutter to a rake handle and started slicing plastic netting. The last few cuts were where the netting had worked itself under the scales right near the head. I had to go in close with the rattler very upset and now almost free. My neighbor pulled VERY tight to control the head! We got it done, freed the snake from my plastic nightmare screw-up and that snake snuck around for years providing me with excellent rodent control. Respect to that powerful creature!
We had one get caught in that Ross garden net also.
It wasn’t even our netting…
Something that someone else left behind…
I’ve been doing near the same exact process for many years.
BUT, moving them too far is a death sentence and you might as well kill them outright.
—————
Excerpted from discussions with local biologists and a couple herpetologists:
Rattlers use the same burrow year after year.
During fall they have to slightly enlarge the whole burrow to fit their growth.
A relocated rattler can’t afford the time or energy to start a burrow anew once an adult.
Will likely end up dying the slow agonizing death of exposure to the elements in winter, that differs a bit for cold-blooded creatures.
Was told to move them 1 mile MAX and keep to the same watershed.
If it keeps returning to the same place on property there’s likely a nest of eggs and/or babies.
Then consideration of a kill order rises considerably, especially if children or pregnant women are present.
Dogs can be trained to avoid them.
They can be somewhat aggressive.
A big one raising up and hissing at you, forked tongue way out, close enough to reach out and touch, will definitely get your attention.
That’s how I met my very first one.
I’m lucky it didn’t strike.
What you describe is not “aggression”, it’s defensive warnings.
Movings towards you AND striking, together, would be aggression.
Anyone ever met a water mocassin?
That’s aggression.
I killed 3 around my house one summer and spent a small fortune on .22s the next 4 years trying to get control of the ground squirrels. No joke, one year it was over 500 I shot and had the traps going full time too.
500 ground squirrels? You must not have much going on with your life..
U must not understand , ground squirrels are rata with fluffy tails.
Trickle Down Depopulation.
How were the squirrels harming you?
They were stripping everything and we depend on growing our own food. I would step out one door and 15 would dump out of the fig trees, and 30 out of the garden. Out the other door and 20 would scramble out of the blueberry/huckleberry and strawberry patch and they would be raining out of the apple and pear trees, it was nuts. Every single carrot, turnip, tomato, etc, etc was gnawed on. It was 6 to 8 squirrels shot each time I stepped out, all from my porch or just off it
I have 250 acres post canopy fire and it is all ceanothis, squirrel superfood. I have secured the 5 acres around my garden and orchards. 2 years ago my Jeep Grand Cherokee broke down on the top section. I was under the gun to finish a construction project before my crew left so it took me 5 days to get up there to tow it. I pulled up and lifted the hood and ground squirrels poured out in all directions. Everything not made of metal was gone, hoses, tanks, fuel lines, everything. I was in shock and disbelief, this was a $56k vehicle, so I had it towed to the mechanic in Fortuna. They couldn’t believe it, totally destroyed…you can call JC Auto if you don’t believe me. They said it would cost $30k to try and get it running again. I can;t leave the tractor or saws or anything out anywhere have to drive the mile or 2 home every evening, it is a huge pain in the ass.
BTW, they are a vector for plague, tick and flea borne diseases, mange, you name it when they get this thick. At this point it is me and my family or them. Sign a waiver and I’ll let you hug and protect them on the top section from me so you can feel all warm and fuzzy, I am sure they will pay you back.
Even if the # of squirrels is off, the premise of the story is sound.
The best is when you water your plants and they just fall into the tunnels.
Wow. Love the story. Sorry that you’ve got such an impressive issue on your land. Its too bad that more people don’t understand what it is to depend on their fruits, roots and veg. It is a tough thing to be a gardener, even harder when you have a hoard to kill to keep your food. Yikes.
??They attract rattlesnakes…
And they can carry the plague…
(I’m not the Guest that got 500)
My young son, maybe 7or 8, came in the house quickly one day and woke me, telling me he saw a rattlesnake… Waking up, I was still a little fuzzy, and called him on it…
He started crying, so I knew he was telling the truth…
Grabbed the shotgun and killed a fat 3 footer under the cherry tree.
I never should have doubted him…
It’s rattles had broken off, it just had a button left, so it emitted no warning…
Ground squirrels were the vector for the last big plague outbreak. San Francisco.
Ground squirrels are rumored to have tested positive for plague locally…
documented vector… more than rumor
And there you have it…
That doesn’t surprise me…
When those who are in charge of protected areas start eliminating them, you can be sure there the ground squirrels are a true health threat…
Environmentalists indicate that we are selecting for quiet rattlers if we kill the ones who give us warning. They say it is opposite from what you should be doing; kill the silent ones because they are the ones who will strike you without warning. Spare the ones who give respect and distance; they will hunt the area rodents and keep down not just plague but many diseases that the rodents are vector for.
Seriously? 500 in one year? Do you live in the Great Plains?
??I’m curious where the guy lives, also.
I had a lot, but that’s way more than I had…
I used a Sheridan, 5mm airgun, mostly, or a .22 pistol… An old Ruger pre-mark I…
What area?
I’ll tell you this much, Burn scar of the 2008 Lyme fire, ceanothis grow back, that is your key
That’s what happens…vermin population explosion in the absense of rattlers.
We don’t have many snakes here folks.
Try FL, most any day, you can find numerous snakes, of different species, in 8″-12″ grass within the space of a vehicle.
Seems the digger squirrel population was far greater decades ago. Perhaps the snakes thinned them out?
Plague is all I can figure…
What other critter has an alarm to worn you if your too close.
That rattle gets your attention quick.
Sometimes they break off.
I killed one fat one, about three feet, with just a button…
I’ve only had one raise up and hiss at me…
Now, that will get your attention, way more than the rattle…
That’s part of the lesson from the Klamath biologists I spoke with…
though, the premise at the time had yet to be seriously studied…
They spoke of a significatly higher # of rattle-less rattlers being observed than in the past.
They can break off but it’s a natural random, dominant, gene mutation that some are born without rattles. If they reproduce, chances of half a brood without rattles is high.
The hypothesis they presented, is that because such a large # of rattlers are killed unjustifiably by humans (not for food), & that rattle-less rattlers are seen less often (thus less likely to be killed by humans), that the % of rattle-less is steeply increasing in the field and therefore the mutated gene becomes more common in the gene pool.
One in about 40, in my experience…?
Like Tusk less elephants.
Their accoutrements no longer serve a purpose.
Thank you non fiction. Snakes are not in the business for attacking humans.
Here in N America, mostly true…water mocassins are a major outlier and cottonmouths are easily provoked as well, especially near a nest.
There are a couple/few species in each of S Amer, Africa, Australia, & S Asia that will come after you…asps, vipers, anacondas, etc.
Mean buggers!
15 years back in early spring,, had a large rattler sunning itself up the driveway soon after sunrise. I let it be. Have a good relationship with most creatures, big and small. About a half hour later a large hawk (I think Red Tail) snatched it. Saw it flying overhead with its dangling catch. The hawk had it by it’s head and had no trouble flying off with it.
I have seen them coiled around the base of cannabis plants, more than once. Protection from rodents, what a blessing! Just try not to step on them.
Had a big rattler living in my old guerilla patch many years ago. I just sang and made a little noise as I entered and moved about so no problem sharing the rocky outcrop. Give him time and space and he will stay away from you. Never had any rodent problem. Saw him a few times and he’d hiss hello from a distance. I never pushed on his space and it was quite a decent relationship. I would only allow the dog in there on a leash so we’d have no foolish misunderstanding and did I mention- years of zero rat problems!
Cool story…
A red tail overhead is supposed to be good luck…
This is obviously Biden’s fault.
No, Trump’s fault, obviously.
Sideshow Bob is the culprit.
Pay attention to where you’re stepping. Western Diamondbacks dont want trouble. They are considered the gentle Ben’s of rattlesnake species. They give fair warning. They are easy to relocate safely if you learn how. Snakes do a lot of good keeping rodent populations down. I know several people who’ve been bit, and they said it was their own fault. The emergency room mostly tells people to tough it out and doesnt give anti venom unless you’re a child, old, or feeble
I dont remember the exact numbers, but they give a “dry bite” a significant amount of the time, as they only have a limited amount of venom
it takes about 3 weeks which is why they eat once a month at the earliest. I worked collecting venom for a little while. Never been bitten but my associate did and it was a dry bite. He had been bitten before a few times and he decided to not even go to the hospital because he said he didn’t feel the venom, meanwhile i had the vehicle ready and was freaking out. The babies are the worst to be bitten by, because they are born with a super sack of venom so to speak.
I had a friend who got bit, and it was no small thing. 2 days in the hospital, 3 weeks on crutches.
He was walking along, head in the clouds, and stepped on it. It never rattled. That’s typical, it almost happened to me once. Watch where you step.
Probably a cranky gopher snake?
I hope.
Won’t be a cheap visit to the hospital. Had one in my family campsite at Richardson Grove. I killed it and the park ranger almost arrested me.
Richardson Grove is an unspoiled Eden, a remote wilderness gently framed by diesel fuel and bigfoot carvings; a majestic barrier to Militaristic Capitalism in transit to Fortuna..in 53 ft trailers. HuzzOW!
You are commenting in the wrong story. Must be looking for the smoking sohum pot story.